Tyreek Hill cut a frustrated figure during the Miami Dolphins’ embarrassing Week 1 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts.
The mercurial wide receiver was visibly irked during the first quarter of the 33-8 blowout, and could be seen waving his hands up and down on the sidelines while having a heated conversation with a member of the Dolphins staff.
Many who have closely followed Hill this offseason might have predicted the Week 1 slump; to say his summer has been disrupted would be an understatement.
The 31-year-old didn’t participate in team drills during OTAs or minicamp as he worked his way back from a wrist surgery, and missed most of August with an oblique injury.
The former Kansas City Chiefs star, who hinted at a possible exit in January, then suffered another setback when Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel revealed Hill had not been named a captain for the 2025 season.
On the field of late, he has looked a shadow of his former explosive self, albeit injuries, an inconsistent O-line, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s own struggles haven’t exactly helped.
Hill snaps back at reporter after year-long draught pointed out to him
Hill caught four passes for a team-high 40 yards against Indy, the latest example of his alarming drop off and statistical decline.
In fact, ‘Cheetah’, once the most feared wide receiver in the NFL, has not caught a pass over 30 yards in almost a full year.
That’s right, since an 80-yard bomb in Week 1 of 2024 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hill has gone nearly an entire season without a single reception of 30-plus yards.
That remarkable stat was put to Hill during a recent media scrum, and it’s fair to say he wasn’t appreciative of it.
“Is there any reason you haven’t caught a pass for over 30 yards in a full year?” a reporter asked Hill.
“You trying to p*** me off today,” the Dolphins star responded after laughing.
“I’m not trying to piss you off. I’m just tryna ask you what is going on? The speed is there, but… are the throws there?”
“I don’t know, bro. I don’t know, bro. I’m grateful for the media, bro,” Hill replied, smiling.
In his first two seasons with the Dolphins, Hill had 238 catches for just over 3,500 yards and 20 touchdowns.
In 2024, he had 81 catches for 959 yards and only 6 touchdowns — the the first time in four seasons Hill finished the season with less than 1,000 yards receiving.
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Steelers reportedly interest in trading for Hill
Hill has continually found himself at the center of intense trade discussions in recent weeks.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Dolphins have received trade calls on Hill but are not interested in moving him.
With that said, a reunion with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs makes a ton of sense, given Hill won a Super Bowl in KC and Andy Reid’s team are crying out for an elite pass catcher.
However, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers who Hill is currently being linked with, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noting on numerous occasions over recent days that the Steelers have shown interest in Hill.
The Steelers have gone ‘all-in’ this offseason, making a series of aggressive ‘win-now’ moves.
They signed four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal in free agency and pulled off moves for wide receiver DK Metcalf, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and tight end Jonnu Smith.
They also locked up star pass rusher T.J. Watt and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward to new deals.
Appearing on Bleacher Report’s YouTube channel, NFL insider James Palmer claimed Hill could be on the move, albeit close to the trade deadline.
However, despite the speculation, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero poured cold water on the Hill to Pittsburgh rumors.
“I don’t see a team like the Steelers bringing in Tyreek Hill, period, to be quite frank,” Pelissero said during a recent appearance on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’.
“Never say never, but if any team is going to have inside information on where things went sideways with Tyreek last year, it would be from a team that traded for multiple other Dolphins veterans within the past couple of months. It just seems like it would be a difficult fit there.”
Hill is currently facing domestic abuse allegations from his estranged wife, but insists his focus is on ‘playing ball’.
“My focus right now is just playing ball, and spending time with my kids and just doing what I’m best at: providing for my family,” Hill told reporters. “So all the noise, I feel like if you allow that kind of stuff to get in the way of what you’re trying to do, it can only cloud what you’re really trying to get accomplished.”
The Dolphins take on the New England Patriots in Wee 2, where the wideout insists his signature explosive plays will return.
“I know my job,” he added.
“Hey, it will come. I feel like this week, we got a great opportunity to go out there, make some plays, and move past last week.”
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